In Dubai in
June, the heavy, hot Middle Eastern sun has reached its zenith. The average
temperature is above 40C, the sea is like a warm bath, the golden sand burns
your feet and the ubiquitous tarmac is starting to sizzle. But there’s no
reason to panic; Dubai – never known to take the status quo lying down – has found
an extreme solution to the misery of midsummer.

While most
people know the joys of Ski Dubai, the infamous
man-made ski centre at Mall of the
Emirates, not everyone is aware that you can also have a ski vacation in one of
the hottest cities in the world.

Operated by
the Kempinski Hotel, 15 luxury
ski chalets gaze over the slopes, allowing visitors to watch the
bambi-on-ice skiers slip and slide down the slalom or applaud the smooth
boarders as they twist and carve their way down. The two-to-six people accommodations
come with a fake roaring fire and Nordic style decor, and the hotel’s chefs
will deliver five-star dishes to your in-chalet dining room; fondue anyone? If
you want to indulge in some après ski, head to Apres, the ski-lodge
bar within the mall, for a warming hot chocolate.

Guests also
get free entry to the Snow Park, the non-ski slope part of Ski Dubai, where you can make snowballs and snow angels, try sledding
and toboggan runs and indulge in all your mid-winter, cold weather fantasies
while everyone else is sweating rivers outside.